Support available
Grants will be available for businesses operating in NSW regional eligible industries. The funding is available to assist with the relocation costs of eligible skilled workers they employ that move from metropolitan areas to Regional NSW.
Approved businesses will be reimbursed up to $10,000 to assist with the following relocation costs incurred by eligible skilled workers they employ:
- furniture removal
- travel for immediate family to relocate
- temporary accommodation for up to three months
- furniture storage for up to three months.
The NSW Government has committed $10 million for applications over the next four years - $2.5 million will be available each year, providing 250 grants of up to $10,000.
Grants are available from 1 October 2018.
Who can apply
Eligible businesses must be operating in a NSW regional eligible industry and:
- relocating to, or setting up in, Regional NSW and creating at least five ongoing full-time equivalent (FTE) jobs in a regional local community, or
- already operating in Regional NSW and seeking to recruit eligible workers.
The business must be seeking employees that:
- are relocating from a metropolitan area to Regional NSW. Regional residence must be at least 50km from original metropolitan residence and within the same region as the eligible business
- have an occupation that features on the Commonwealth Skilled Occupation List for the Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa - subclass 491 (see below section)
- are Australian citizens or permanent residents on the date they commence employment.
Eligible occupations
Check the Commonwealth Government's Skilled Occupation List to see if your occupation is listed and eligible to apply for the Regional Skills Relocation Grant. Use this listing by:
- Visit the website and scroll to the 'Skilled Occupation List' search function:
- Enter your occupation into the 'search' field
- Select 491 – Skilled Work Regional (Provisional) visa (subclass 491) – State or Territory nominated from the 'select visas' dropdown field
- Click on the 'magnifying glass' to search.
Eligible industries
To be eligible for funding, employers must be a business or co-operative:
- operating in an ‘engine’ industry, enabling industry or emerging engine industry as described in the relevant Regional Economic Development Strategy (REDS), or
- aligned with government strategies including the 20-Year Economic Vision for Regional NSW
Industries identified in the REDS reflect the regions competitive advantage and ability to trade their goods outside the local area or sell their services to non-locals. Retail and restaurants are ineligible because they only operate and sell locally. Examples of ‘engine’ or ‘emerging’ industries include:
- agriculture
- forestry
- manufacturing
- mining
- tourism.
Other eligible industries are those enabling industries that provide key inputs or services to an ‘engine’ or ‘emerging’ industry identified in the REDS. For example, transport and logistics are eligible where they address barriers faced by eligible industries such as agriculture and manufacturing.
In rare cases, population-serving industries that are typically ineligible may be deemed eligible where it can be demonstrated that such service ‘exports’ are material to the Functional Economic Region (FER).
Click here for further information on industry eligibility.
The application process
Register an enquiry
- Businesses setting up in, relocating to, or already operating in Regional NSW will need to make an enquiry at regionalnsw.business@regional.nsw.gov.au.
Eligibility
- Registered businesses operating in applicable eligible industries are invited to complete an eligibility form.
- Eligible businesses receive confirmation and a grant pre-approval ID, valid for 12 months.
Activation
- Businesses notify the Department within 15 days of filling the role and complete a grant activation form.
- The Department determines the eligibility of the employee and provides confirmation of grant activation.
Claim
- Eligible employees must have worked a minimum of 3 months before relocation costs will be reimbursed.
- Businesses submit reimbursement form with copies of paid invoices to receive grant payment.
Evaluation
- Business and employee complete an evaluation survey up to 12 months from employee commencement date.